FANCIERS' JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 



265 



French are intermediate, and perhaps may have originated 

 by a cross between the two varieties. 



The German bird excels as a singer ; the French bird 

 ranks next. While the Belgian bird does not sing generally 

 so well, it is so exquisitely formed that in the eyes of a fan- 

 cier it more than compensates for its deficiency of song. 

 Enthusiasts recognize in this highly-formed Canary ten 

 points, viz. : Small fiat head ; long and slender neck ; high 

 and square shoulders ; the back well rounded, so as to form 

 a segment of a circle ; general neatness of aspect and length 

 of tail, inclining in a circle with the back ; thinness and 

 length of the bird; erectness and length of limbs; closeness 

 of feathers ; richness of color. These are the points as given 

 by Mr. Barnsly, an English fancier. They recognize three 

 varieties of the Belgian, viz.: Erect, roughed, and hooped. 

 In this country the long French bird takes the place of the 

 erect Belgian, and we only recognize the hooped bird as the 

 Belgian. Choice specimens sometimes sell for one hundred 

 dollars. 



COLOR. 



The yellow and the mealy are the colors most prized, but 

 it is considered that the mottled and green birds have the 

 strongest constitutions. 



In Europe the breeding of Canaries is reduced to a 

 science. Societies are formed, which hold annual exhibi- 

 tions and offer prizes for competition. 



Enthusiastic fanciers recognize some thirty varieties, 

 which are arranged under two divisions, viz.: plain and 

 variegated. The plain are designated as gay or gay spangled; 

 the variegated as fancy birds. The Jonque or Jonquil is a 

 bright yellow bird ; the Mealy is a pale yellow intermingled 

 with white, which makes the bird appear as if sprinkled 

 with meal ; the Lizard is a green bird spotted with yellow, 

 with a cap of a rich yellow color ; the highly-prized Cinna- 

 mon bird is so called on account of it resembling in color 

 cinnamon bark. 



DESIGNATION OF SEX. 



The male bird is the songster. The female scarcely ever 

 sings ; if so, their notes are weak and effeminate, and they 

 never fill out under their throats while articulating notes, 

 as do the males. The male has a short stout beak and is 

 wide between the eyes, with a flat head. The wider they 

 are between the eyes the better. The crown of the head of 

 the female is more round than the male. 



TO DISTINGUISH OLD FROM YOUNG BIRDS. 



The feet and legs of young birds are smooth and glossy; 

 the toe-nails are short. Old birds have rough and scaly 

 feet, with long toe-nails. It sometimes is necessary to trim 

 the nails to prevent their being caught in the wires of the 

 cage. 



MODE OF IMPROVING THEIR SONG. 

 In Europe great attention is paid to improving the song 

 of Canaries. The two modes are practiced as follows: A 

 large cage is constructed with close partitions, being divided 

 into sections which effectually excludes the view from each 

 other. A superior singing bird — a Nightingale or Skylark 

 ■ — is placed within hearing, but out of sight. By listening 

 to the beautiful notes they are taught to imitate. In six 

 months ihey will have acquired perfection, when they can 

 be removed to separate cages. Another method is : When 

 young birds are first beginning to try to sing, they are sep- 

 arated from the parent bird to prevent them from acquiring 

 the song of the old bird. The room is made quite dark, 



with just enough light admitted to enable them to see to eat. 

 A musical instrument is constructed, called a bird-organ, 

 and is played for an hour each day in the room, in the 

 hearing of the young birds. Nothing else attracting their 

 attention, they become attentive listeners, and soon attempt 

 to practice the song, which in the course of time they are 

 enabled to perfectly repeat. 



FOOD AND MANAGEMENT. 



The food best adapted to their use is clear canary seed. 

 Sometimes it is mixed with one-fourth of rape seed. Hemp 

 seed should not be used, as it produces too much fat. Occa- 

 sionally they should be allowed a sprig of lettuce or cab- 

 bage-leaf, or a piece of apple. They should be fed and given 

 fresh water every day. The cage should be kept clean, and 

 the bottom of the cage should be sprinkled with gravel. 

 This will supersede the necessity of cuttle-fish bone, unless 

 it can be conveniently supplied. 



MOULTING SEASON. 



The moulting season takes place once each year, generally 

 during September or October. The casting-off of plumage 

 and the formation of a new dress necessarily produces indis- 

 position sufficient to cause them to cease their song. During 

 this period especial attention should be given them ; the tem- 

 perature of their room should be uniform, and they should 

 be free from drafts of cold air ; the cage should be sus- 

 pended three feet from the ceiling, in order to avoid the 

 deleterious air and gas escaping from the combustion of 

 coal. 



MATING AND BREEDNG CANARIES. 



The mating of Canaries for breeding purposes requires in- 

 struction as well as experience in order to insure success. 



Breeding-cages can be obtained from dealers, suitably 

 arranged for exercise, nesting, <&c. They are provided with 

 a shelf perforated with an opening sufficiently large to con- 

 tain a nest (which is usually made of wire-gauze), besides 

 perches, feed cups, &c. 



The cage should be hung at least a foot above your head, 

 and should occupy a southerly aspect, if possible, and not be 

 moved until the breeding season is over. Should a cage be 

 used that had previously been employed for this purpose, it 

 would be a safer plan to scald it with water made alkaline 

 by baking soda, and then revarnished. 



In selecting the pair, several things are to be considered : 

 1st, the desired sex ; 2d, color ; 3d, the size and shape of the 

 birds. 



A young male and an old female mated together produce 

 mostly male offspring, which is greatly to be desired. 

 Males and females of about the same age mated produce 

 about equal proportions of male and female young. 



2d. Color. — To produce a handsome yellow bird, the male 

 should be a Jonquil ; the female should be a Mealy bird. 

 Such a union will usually produce pure yellow birds ; while 

 a clear yellow male mated with a green female will usually 

 produce handsome mottled young. A very deep yellow 

 male mated with a very deep green or brown hen often pro- 

 duces the highly-prized Cinnamon bird. 



3d. Shape. — In breeding for form much taste can be dis- 

 played. Some prize form more than color or song. 



MULES. 



A female Canary will mate with several varieties of birds, 

 and their offspring are called mules. The males from some 

 of these crosses are fine singers, and command high prices 



